So, you think you’re ready for a trip to Disney, eh? Think again. There are a lot of items that you may not have considered and possibly even a few that you’re forgotten. Don’t worry. I feel your pain. In fact, I’m vacationing at Walt Disney World as you read this. Please allow me to speak from recent experience about the last minute items you should pack in order to ensure that you have everything you need when you reach your destination: the Happiest Place on Earth.
1. Magic Bands/Magic Express Tags
Let’s order the items you’ll need in order to when you’re most likely to need them. Believe it or not,Magic Bands come into play before almost anything else. Once you arrive in Orlando, your Magic Band is already activated. You can use it at the airport and thereby bypass a lot of aggravation if you’re staying at a Disney resort.
Your Magic Band provides access to a Magic Express bus, which means that you head directly to a Disney entity directly from the airport with no other stops, exactly as the company intended. It guarantees that they have no competition for your vacation dollars. For your part, it provides one-step convenience for your trip. You place the Magic Express tags on your luggage prior to departure then never have to worry about it again. Assuming the airplane company doesn’t lose anything, it will arrive at your hotel within hours of when you do.
Meanwhile, your Magic Band provides you with the ability to head to your resort via the bus and then skip off to your favorite park soon afterward. Plus, you’re going to need your Magic Band once you’re at Walt Disney World, and you don’t want to waste valuable vacation time having to get one onsite.
2. Printouts
In recent years, the Walt Disney Company has done a wonderful job in providing access to all of your account information online. My Disney Experience functions well as both as a website and an app. Whether you bring a laptop or use your cellphone or tablet on your trip, you probably believe that you don’t need physical printouts of anything. That’s a mistake.
Sometimes, reservations get lost. Be Our Guest is notorious for dropping them at lunch, as an example. What happens if you show up somewhere and they don’t have your reservation? You presume that you’ll pull out your smart device and pull up the information that way. The problem is that cell phones get lost during vacations. You’re putting all your eggs in one basket by relying on technology alone.
The old-fashioned way still works. It’s also the best fail-safe available. A few days before you leave, take ten minutes to print out all of your confirmation numbers for restaurants, hotel reservations, flight itinerary, Memory Maker, and the like. Also, you should copy all of your FastPass+ selections in case you have any issues with your Magic Band. Keep a copy of the sheet of paper or index card with you at all times, and end your reliance upon technology.
3. Broken-in Tennis Shoes
Note that I’m not saying new tennis shoes. This is a rookie mistake that a lot of people make. They want to look their best on vacation, so they buy new gear. Alas, amusement parks are a harsh mistress. You’ll walk enough to qualify for a half-marathon when you spend a full day park-hopping at Disney. Even if you have less ambitious plans, new shoes are a huge no-no. Since you haven’t broken them in, your shoes are unforgiving, which means your feet will hurt and possibly blister. Instead of buying new shoes, pick your favorite pair of old ones for your trip. If you want to look nice for certain occasions, pack both but only wear the new pair for said occasions. It’s also nice to have that back-up pair if you enjoy water rides since your shoes may get wet.
4. Membership Cards
There are a lot of discounts available at Walt Disney World and the surrounding area, which is one giant, well cultivated tourist trap. Businesses want you to think that you will get discounts; unless you press them, however, they are not inclined to provide the discounts, though. Expect to show your identification whenever you’re entitled to such special offers. As such, you’ll want to pack proof of your Annual Pass membership, DVC ownership, AAA tourist benefits, Tables in Wonderland discount, and the like. Keep this information in the same place as your reservation information for optimal convenience.
5. Band-Aids and Hand Sanitizer
This is the ultimate example of better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Uh-ohs are an inevitable part of amusement park visits. You don’t want to drip blood as you’re walking through the park, because other people don’t appreciate that sort of thing. Plus, it attracts vampires.
On a seemingly unrelated note, hand sanitizer is a great idea at the most trafficked amusement park on the planet. Since you don’t know where everyone else has been and you probably don’t want to know the various bodily fluids that have previously resided on the various things you touch at the park, just bring hand sanitizer. Since you cannot carry liquids on planes for security reasons, you can also elect to bring a box of wipes instead.
6. Sandals/Flip Flops/Aqua Socks
While we’re discussing footwear, here’s a not-so-secret fact about Florida. It’s hot there, especially in the summer. Since you’re probably going to swim some and may even visit one of Walt Disney World’s vaunted water parks, think about your feet. You won’t want to wear your regular shoes while you’re near all the sand and water. Going barefoot is also a mistake, because your feet will wind up medium rare after a couple of hours. Seriously, nobody understands how hot sand gets until they’re standing on it. By that point, your options are to suffer in silence, suffer loudly (and thereby ruining the fun for your loved ones), or pay Disney’s gouge-pricing for an emergency pair of Aqua Socks. By thinking ahead, you can save yourself money and third-degree burns.
7. Cell Charger/Battery
Speaking of MyDisneyExperience, I’ve previously discussed the issues this app has in terms of draining batteries as well as the best ways to address the issue. While a lot of people bristle at the idea of tourists using their phones too much at Disney parks, the company itself has integrated so much of its system into the realm of portable device that it’s a necessary evil.
Since you’re going to need to use your phone and the app is battery-intensive, you need a plan. Your cell phone charger is a must. When you return to your hotel at night, you’ll discover that your battery charge is low. You’ll want to hook it up to the charger overnight to get back to 100%. Alternately or in addition to this, you should consider a back-up battery. Anker offers an entire line of products in the $10-$30 range that effectively triple your battery life. Better yet, they’re small and therefore portable, so you can carry them in your travel bag/purse.
By the way, if you have a wearable device such as a Jawbone Up, Apple Watch, or Fitbit, remember to pack it as well as its charger. You’ll get thousands of steps while at the various parks. So, if you use a rewards service such as Achievemint, your vacation entertainment will aid you in earning rewards. It’s an additional benefit for living a healthy lifestyle while traveling.
8. Ponchos
FYI: Florida gets a lot of rain. I mean, it’s not Seattle by any stretch, but that’s only because Seattle experiences an average of only 71 sunny days annually. Orlando isn’t much better at 89 sunny days per year. Conversely, Orlando receives 36 percent more rain than the average city, and the worst season for such precipitation is summer, which also happens to be the primary tourist season for amusement park visits. This is the type of thing you learn when you marry a weather nerd. The point is that in the face of such inclement weather, you’re going to want to carry a poncho. I don’t recommend umbrellas, because it’s harder to travel with them. Whatever your preference, make sure to pack one before you leave for your trip.
